Week 14 Recap

Well, Week 14 didn’t go the way I planned. Not sure about you, but I had 4 teams in these playoffs and I’m on the brink of losing all 4 (2 upsets, 2 I probably should lose). The biggest culprits for me were Miles Austin, Vernon Davis, and my trio of Saints (Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Jimmy Graham). All three guys underperformed considerably and may end up costing me dearly.

From an injury standpoint, Week 14 wasn’t terrible, but we did get news that Fred Jackson is out for the year after suffering a grade 2 MCL sprain of his right knee. Shutting him down makes total sense, with the Bills’ season being over already and his extensive history of knee pathology. CJ Spiller becomes the man in Buffalo and should see a huge increase in his value moving forward.

Additionally, we saw a couple of Giants who are gritting out injuries, but really having a hard time with them. Hakeem Nicks had to have X-rays done on his sore knee and seems to have a bout of swelling and soreness each and every week now. To add insult to injury, he came down directly on the knee, causing pain and some missed time during the game. In addition, Ahmad Bradshaw suffered a knee sprain to go along with his already sore foot and neck, so he’s dealing with a trio of painful injuries at the same time. High pain thresholds are one thing, but three injuries (and two involving his legs) at once is tough to deal with and may lead to his workload being decreased, especially with David Wilson’s breakthrough game. I’d expect Nicks to be limited all week and be close to a game time decision while Bradshaw’s news will come out as the week goes on, giving us insight about his Week 15 status. Stay tuned.

And how can we forget Robert Griffin III and his right knee injury. Word is (as I expected) he suffered a sprained lateral collateral ligament (LCL), but the severity seems to be in the grade 1/2 range, which is definitely something that can be played through. What RGIII loses with this injury is some stability in the knee when he cuts or twists, as the LCL is the ligament that connects the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone) on the outside of the knee. So anytime a player has LCL involvement and tries to play through it, a brace of varying strength is involved. My expectation is that he will play this week, especially since the severity of the sprain is a grade 1 or 2, which is mild to moderate in nature. However, we’ll wait til Friday to see what his practice participation was like this week.

Quick Hits:

Jay Cutler suffered a “whiplash” type injury on Sunday, which is normally categorized as a muscular injury to the neck muscles. He should receive a ton of treatment this week to help decrease inflammation and soreness and should play this week…Jared Cook seems to have suffered a re-aggravation of his shoulder injury from early in the season. Watch out for him to be limited this week and his availability for Week 15 is up in the air…Ray Rice suffered a hip pointer that’s being classified as “minor”. Wait until later in the week to see if he practices or not this week, but with the Ravens in the thick of the home field advantage race, expect him to play. Click this link (http://tinyurl.com/benbhhw) and scroll down to the Hip Pointer paragraph to gain a better understanding of what this injury entails…Victor Cruz had a monster day on Sunday, but he also hurt his shoulder during the game, requiring sideline evaluation to determine the extent of the injury. He basically played the whole game otherwise, so expect him to be just fine. We’ll monitor it just in case…Dwayne Bowe has two fractured ribs, which means he’ll either be able to play through it and tolerate the pain or his season may be over. More information should come out this week…Marshawn Lynch flared up his low back a little bit during his standout game against the Cardinals. Remember, he’s dealt with back spasms all season and has basically been a “rest” scratch from every Wednesday practice this season. He’ll do the same deal this week and should be fine for Week 15, but back spasms are a tricky, fickle injury, so keep an eye on him…Darren McFadden practiced today, which is a great sign for his availability for Week 15 after re-aggravating his high ankle sprain this past Thursday. If he continues to increase his availability, he should be fine, but monitor his situation closely.

That should cover the biggies. If your leagues are anything like mine, tonight is a VERY important night. Not only are my Pats playing on MNF, but I also need Steven Ridley and Matt Schaub to have huge days and Wes Welker and the Houston Defense to do not so well. So here’s hoping the Pats win 52-45 (wishful thinking, I know).

FYI

Just wanted to say I hate both the Saints and Falcons for singlehandedly killing my Week 13. Specifically, Marques Colston and Roddy White….I’m done with you both (unless I need you in Week 14, at which time I will love you again)

On a happy note (for me at least), I do not own Drew Brees or Matt Ryan. 

That is all

Injury Reactions From Sunday’s Week 3

Sunday was an interesting day for fantasy owners, as we saw some big names go down to injury, from new fantasy darling CJ Spiller to oft-injured and oft-frustrating Reggie Bush. Here’s a quick look at some important developments and what it mean to your fantasy team.

CJ Spiller: We’ll start with a key one. Looks like Spiller avoided disaster and did not fracture his collarbone, which is great news for his owners (think Ryan Mathews when considering how bad this could have been for Spiller). My guess is he probably severely sprained his Acromioclavicular joint (AC joint), which is where the collar bone and a prominance on your scapula (shoulder blade) meet. This joint is very important for shoulder stability and is what is being referenced when someone “separates” their shoulder. The inital thought is that Spiller will be out 1-2 weeks, but more will be known once his MRI results come back. My guess is that 2-3 weeks seems reasonable as long as it’s not a complete separation. Hold onto him as this is something he will be able to bounce back from, but the timing couldn’t be worse for him. Fred Jackson is said to be progressing very quickly, as he could be back in 2 weeks or so, which means Spiller loses his stranglehold on the starting job if Jackson is good to go. In the short-term, Tashard Choice looks to be the guy.

Reggie Bush: Another worse-case scenario avoided, as reports are he avoided any season-ending type injury. Initial reports say he’ll miss ” a few weeks”, but as with Spiller, more will be known after his MRI delivers more specifics. Probably looking at a ligament sprain, but the time he misses will be determined once they know which structures are involved and how severe the sprains are. We’ll reserve judgment until more info comes out, but it looks like he’s be out at least 2 weeks, my guess being closer to 4 because he’s traditionally been a slow healer and very fragile. Daniel Thomas is the guy in his place, with Lamar Miller being a very deep sleeper.

Ryan Mathews: I’m not including him because he got hurt again, but more because he played a pretty good amount on Sunday and came through just fine. He had 10 carries for 44 yards, which is not impressive by any means, but the Chargers fell behind right off the bat, which doesn’t lend itself to running 20+ times per game. He’s the guy there and there really is no one there challenging him for time, so I think he will have a big week next week now that his workload can continue to be increased. Play him confidently.

Miles Austin: Bruised his ribs after catching a long pass from Tony Romo, left the game to go get X-rays, and came back to finish the game. So the fact that he came back into the game is a good sign. I’m not sure if I’ve just never noticed before, but there seems to be a rash of rib injuries the first 3 weeks of the season. As I’ve stated, it’s a pain tolerance and protection issue if it’s just a bruise, so he should be fine. Monitor the practice reports this week, but I can’t imagine it stops him from playing.

Willis McGahee: See above for my rant on rib injuries, but McGahee also suffered bruised ribs. He actually left the game and didn’t return, which isn’t as promising as with Austin. Ronnie Hillman and Lance Ball would probably be the biggest beneficiary if McGahee can’t go, but remember Knowshon Moreno is also there as well. It’s a murky situation overall though, with so many possible mouths to feed. I’d probably favor Hillman, but it’s anyone’s guess at that point.

Jared Cook: He had a solid game on Sunday, but did suffer an injury to his AC joint (see CJ Spiller above for explanation). Coach Munchak seems confident he will play in Week 4, but wait for the MRI results before deciding. More info should come also from his participation in practice this week.

Beanie Wells: He left Sunday’s game with turf toe, which is a sprain of the big toe of the foot. Knowing his past injury history, he’ll probably be out for about 161 weeks (just an estimate). But in all seriousness, a runner loses his ability to plant and push off when the big toes is sprained, so depending on the severity of the sprain, I can see him missing 2-3 weeks. Ryan Williams ran well in his place and looked healthy, so he’s the pick up in Wells’ place.

Matthew Stafford: Looks like Staff suffered a “right leg muscle” injury, which seemed to look a bit like the hamstring was involved. He’ll have an MRI this week, so we’ll know more then. He actually was reported saying he initially hurt the leg during practice this week and the injury he suffered yesterday was an aggravation. Look for him to play, since he’s not a speed guy and doesn’t rely on his legs, I think he’ll be fine for this week. But we’ll monitor and make sure after more information comes out.

Darrelle Revis: Word is he suffered a pretty severe knee injury, with some saying he possibly tore his ACL, which would be horrendous news for the Jets top defender. MRI is coming this week, but hold your breath and once the severity of the injury comes out, we’ll make a guess at a timetable. Obviously, if he tore the ACL, his season is over. If it’s a sprain of a ligament, the severity of the sprain could cause him to miss anywhere from 2-8 weeks.

Marques Colston: Apparently, this mysterious “foot soreness” he was limited by was plantar fasciitis. What that is is inflammation to the plantar fascia, which runs along the bottom of the foot from the heel to the balls of the toes. Fascia is not elastic and has a tendency to really pull on the surrounding structures when stretched, which makes it very difficulty to push off. If that’s the case, this tends to be an injury that lingers, as resting and letting the fascia revert back to it’s normal length is one major component of the treatment. If he continues to play, expect it to linger for weeks as it SLOWLY gets better.  Doesn’t bode well for Colston owners, so I’d consider seeing if you can unload a depth position on your roster for another WR2/3 just in case.

Jamaal Charles: If you saw his amazing performance on Sunday, you’ll know he wasn’t hurt, so why on earth am I mentioning him here? Well, he’s officially moved well past 1 year post-ACL tear and he looks as close to normal as you could expect. Only thing I wanted to mention was don’t be alarmed if he is limited at all in practice this week because of the significant increase in his workload. This sudden rise can cause some knee soreness, which is completely normal post-ACL. Play him as you normally would because he looks as dynamic as ever.

 

Lightning Round: Setting Your Week 3 Lineup

Yes, I know, I’ve been lagging. Sorry folks, but I’ll make it up to you by actually giving GOOD advice this week. Here we go:

Matt Forte: He is definitely OUT, but I mention him here because there was speculation that he could possibly play, which is a great sign. Obviously, keep him out of your lineup this week, but considering this could have been a 6 week ordeal, it’s nice to know we could be revisiting this next week.

Marshawn Lynch: Full participation all week, including Friday. He’s all systems go, put him out there.

Steven Jackson: He was out of practice all week, which is never a good sign for his availability on Sunday. Groin injuries are tough, as Greg Jennings (more on him later) owners know all too well. They have a tendency to linger, especially with cutting and pushing off, as this muscle group helps stabilize the hip during dynamic movements. Had he been limited in practice and not out, I may feel better. But I don’t think he plays this week, so hopefully you snatched up Daryl Richardson as a handcuff this week. I’d sit Jackson.

Dexter McCluster: He’s been listed as questionable and was limited in practice all week with a shoulder injury. No word on an exact diagnosis, I’m assuming nothing more than a sprain (maybe landed on the shoulder wrong) or some rotator cuff/biceps tendonitis. Either way, neither shoulder be enough to keep him out of the game, so unless it’s something that’s more serious than they’re letting on, he should play. But monitor the inactive report Sunday morning, as we can benefit from the Chiefs playing the early game.

Marques Colston: He’s been limited all week with this lingering foot injury. I’m getting more concerned about it because he was absolutely nonexistent last week. It’s just regarded as a “sore” foot, so take that for what it’s worth. But this sounds like something that can linger all year if he continues to play through it. If you would normally play him, do so. But just know this type of injury doesn’t just disappear with continued play. He’s played through pain before, let’s see if he can do it again.

Jeremy Maclin: So I was wrong about him last week and he ended up playing and scoring a TD. But it looks like he’s suffering the consequences of playing too early because he looks like he is OUT this week due to sorriness and pain in the hip. Like I said last week, hip pointers are a pain-tolerance type of injury, meaning these bone bruises are slow to heal and don’t do so on their own. He’s better off taking this week off and giving himself more time to rest because that’s the only way it’ll improve. We’ll revisit him next week and see how he practices leading up to the Week 4 contest. Damaris Johnson will start in his place if you’re looking for a deep sleeper (I can’t really tell you anything about him because I have no clue who he is)

Desean Jackson: He, on the other hand, came through last week’s game fine with no aggravation of his hamstring issue, although he didn’t contribute fantasy-wise like Maclin did. With Maclin out, he’s the guy this week, with only Damaris Johnson and Jason Avant behind him. They have a tough matchup against the Cardinals potent defense, so that tempers my excitement a bit. I like him because he’s the 1st option this week, but I don’t think he’s anything more than a WR3 at this point until he shows me something.

Jonathan Dwyer/Rashard Mendenhall: I lump them together because they have a direct effect on each other. Mendenhall has already been ruled out as he tries to bounce back from ACL surgery, so we know that much is true. Dwyer has been plagued by a sprained toe, but he is listed as probable and should be good to go this week. I just don’t like this whole RB situation in Pittsburgh at all. When Mendenhall comes back, that’s 3 mouths to feed and Mendenhall won’t just become a 20+ carry guy right away. They’ll limit his carries/plays for a few weeks and go from there, which makes this the timeshare from hell. I’m still in the “avoid Mendenhall’s ACL” camp, so I’d just as well stay away for this week and beyond.

Heath Miller: Listed as probable with sore ribs, it appears he’ll tough it out and play against the Raiders. Considering his matchup, I like him this week to catch a TD (yup, I’m tying predictions into these posts now)

Antonio Gates: He practiced fully Thursday and Friday, which is a change from last week’s limited participation. I’ll be the first to admit I was shocked and wrong about him last week. He looks ready to go this week and I think with the return of Ryan Mathews (more on him in a second), the Chargers offense should be it’s dynamic self again. Remember, Gates spent the offseason dropping weight to take pressure off his chronically hurt feet, so he’s poised to go back to his dynamic self. He looks ready to start that this week. Play him

Ryan Mathews: Cleared for contact, 7 weeks post surgery, listed as probable. The stars are finally aligning for Mathews. I predicted a Week 3 return, so him being ready doesn’t surprise me. I’m going to hold my breath the first time he takes a pop, but as long as he bounces back up, he should be good to go. I”d play him this week with confidence.

Brandon Lloyd: He’s been officially listed as questionable with a thigh injury, as he was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday. Not a great sign, but with no information on Patriots injuries ever being public knowledge, I’d have to speculate it’s a femoral (thigh bone) contusion or some quad tightness/strain. I wouldn’t worry about him sitting this week, as it seems like it’s more precautionary than anything else. If you would normally roll him out, do so this week, even against a good Ravens D. 

Greg Jennings: He was limited in practice and there’s a momentum push that he’ll be available on Monday. But that’s tricky if you don’t have someone playing on Monday who you could sub in just in case he can’t go. The risk is putting him in your lineup at the expense of a solid WR and having to sit Jennings last minute for someone like Doug Baldwin. Gut feeling: He plays, he’s not 100%, the Seahawks D is underrated and very solid in the defensive backfield, so I’d sit him. Again, that’s my gut feeling, he could easily play at less than 100% and contribute (a la Jeremy Maclin), but I’m not the risk taking type with Monday nighters.

Probable Guys Who Are Locks to Play, Therefore Require No Explanation: Miles Austin, Calvin Johnson, Drew Brees, Mark Sanchez, Roddy White, Julio Jones